sounds like a promising start

McKayla has been at a soccer camp in St. George at Dixie State College all week with the Riverton High soccer team. The coach took enough players to make 2 teams so he formed a varsity team with most of the players who were on the high school team last year and a JV team with the incoming freshman and other newbies.

McKayla scored two goals (the only JV player to even score) before being switched to defense for her last couple of games.

Then the coach had 3 of the JV girls dress for the last varsity game. McKayla was one of them.

To me, that sounds like a promising start to her high school career. Hopefully, it bodes well for her when high school tryouts start one month from today.

medal winner

Yesterday was the Unified Sports Soccer tournament. This is a segment of the Special Olympics. Riverton High hosted two teams made up of Special Olympic athletes and peer tutors. The peer tutors from RHS are all members of the high school soccer team.
Front row: Marie Butterfield and Kenny Marse
Second row: Savannah, Chonda, Alec, ?, Eldy Arambula
Back row: Alicia Bowen, Greg Dudley, Carson Broadhead, Mitchell, Austin Cook, Tanner, Paul, Ashley Cornia, Will Christensen, Rob White, Cameron White

RHS fielded an A team and a B team. Alec played for the A team but was a little slow. By the time he saw the ball and his mind processed that he should kick it someone else had usually got there and taken it away. He still managed to score twice though - I guess that proves that slow and steady wins the race! You can see here that he's a bit perplexed about that ball moving so fast!


He still found plenty to cheer about though - like when he scored!

Alec kept everyone entertained during half-times with his rendition of the Haka!

The A-Team:

Back home with his medal:

Harvest Cup

The outcome is not quite what we hoped for but the girls played great! They played 3 games with scores of 0-1, 4-2, and 1-2. One win and two losses. All fairly close games. All winnable games. They scored five goals and had five goals scored against them. I think that's pretty good for a first year team (don't get me wrong, they've all played for years just not as a team). GO UTAH GLORY!

soccer!

McKayla and I have just returned from Cedar City where she played soccer in the Utah Summer Games. We had a really great time but I am all soccered out (I know that's not a real term, but it truly fits!) I watched 11 soccer games in 3 days. I not only watched McKayla's 5 games but I watched several of the Riverton High boys' and girls' games as well. That is definitely soccer overload!

I did still find time to completely read 2 books and finish a third. I visited with lots of "soccer mom" friends. I also got some much needed sleep, so I'd say the trip was a success for me (other than eating way too much junk food).

The soccer wasn't quite as successful. McKayla's team lost in the bronze medal game. RHS girls' lost in the gold medal game (which means they did take silver), and the RHS boys' lost in the bronze medal game.

breaking up is hard to do

We have to talk...

You are a really nice guy and I've enjoyed our last 5 years together but it's just not working for me anymore.  

It's not you, it's me.  

It's just time I move on - find someone new - move on with my life.  You should too.

I will always remember you and be grateful for all you've done for me.  You've helped me to grow and develop.  You will always mean a lot to me.

I hope we can still be friends.

You're a great coach but...you see, I've found someone new.

Who would ever have dreamed that leaving your soccer coach and soccer team of the last 5 years would be so much like a bad break-up? McKayla tried out for and made the premiere team of the U-14 Utah Glory. Her new coach is highly respected and is well-known for really improving players skills and pushing them to excel. He coached his older daughter's team all the way through and 5 of them now play for BYU. Now he's coaching his younger daughter's team and it just seems like a great opportunity for McKayla and one she is VERY excited about,

However, there is a sense of sadness for both McKayla and me. Mike (her current coach) really is an extremely nice guy. We have been with him for 5 years (fall, indoor, spring, summer tournaments, etc) and it feels a little disloyal to abandon him at this point. He had requested that the team stay together. He even told all the players they didn't have to tryout, he'd just put them on his roster. He has sent emails and made phone calls, so now it feels like a sad break-up.

It shouldn't, should it? After all, it's just soccer.